Associate degree

An associate degree is a kind of undergraduate degree that is granted upon completion of a post-secondary education programme that lasts between two and three years. It is a level of qualification that is higher than matriculation, a general equivalency diploma (GED), or a high school diploma, but it is lower than a bachelor's degree.

In 1873, the United Kingdom was the country that presented the first associate degrees; nevertheless, this practise was eventually brought to the United States in 1898. In the United States, students who have earned an associate degree may be eligible to transfer into the third year of a bachelor's degree programme. Since then, several other nations' educational systems have begun awarding degrees at the associate level.